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Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'
How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler
6 reviews
amyrthaios's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Do I think it's a good book? No... Would I recommend it to someone? No.
Did I have a good time reading it? Yes...
Did I have a good time reading it? Yes...
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Torture
crothe77's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler is a comedic, nostalgic fantasy about Davi, a young woman who has been portaled into a fantasy world and is the designated Chosen One. After hundreds of years of trying to accomplish the task set before her, dying, and then being reborn only to do it all over again, Davi decides that she’s done fighting the Dark Lord—she’s going to become the next Dark Lord.
The Voice is so strong and it gives you a real sense of who Davi is. There are references to Game of Thrones, George RR Martin, Dungeons and Dragons, video games, and other aspects of broader nerd culture that people who grew up in the 90s will appreciate. It’s delightfully nostalgic while still feeling like a spin on the Chosen One narrative. Davi’s humor is not going to be for every reader, but it will hit hard with the right reader and this novel is a love letter to nerd culture.
What I really liked was how Davi isn’t a cruel Dark Lord or looking to hurt people; she’s acting out of self-preservation but also out of frustration. Dying over and over again has made her a bit flippant to certain ideas but it never feels off; it feels like that’s exactly how someone who is quite possibly a college student would react in that situation.
There’s a lot of D&D-style worldbuilding, though it’s unclear if that’s the kind of world Davi has fallen into. It could be a video game, it could be an anime, it could be a book. In a lot of ways, it doesn’t matter exactly what kind of world Davi is in; what matters is that she can’t leave as far as she and the reader is aware. But it also does help to inform how you see the world because there are orcs, animal beings with human characteristics, humans, rock monsters, magic, and more, which could make it, most likely, a tabletop game world or a video game.
I would recommend this to readers looking for D&D-esque fantasies with Bi/Pan female leads, fans of nostalgic books that also feature anime and video game tropes, and those looking for a new take on the Dark Lord of fantasy.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler is a comedic, nostalgic fantasy about Davi, a young woman who has been portaled into a fantasy world and is the designated Chosen One. After hundreds of years of trying to accomplish the task set before her, dying, and then being reborn only to do it all over again, Davi decides that she’s done fighting the Dark Lord—she’s going to become the next Dark Lord.
The Voice is so strong and it gives you a real sense of who Davi is. There are references to Game of Thrones, George RR Martin, Dungeons and Dragons, video games, and other aspects of broader nerd culture that people who grew up in the 90s will appreciate. It’s delightfully nostalgic while still feeling like a spin on the Chosen One narrative. Davi’s humor is not going to be for every reader, but it will hit hard with the right reader and this novel is a love letter to nerd culture.
What I really liked was how Davi isn’t a cruel Dark Lord or looking to hurt people; she’s acting out of self-preservation but also out of frustration. Dying over and over again has made her a bit flippant to certain ideas but it never feels off; it feels like that’s exactly how someone who is quite possibly a college student would react in that situation.
There’s a lot of D&D-style worldbuilding, though it’s unclear if that’s the kind of world Davi has fallen into. It could be a video game, it could be an anime, it could be a book. In a lot of ways, it doesn’t matter exactly what kind of world Davi is in; what matters is that she can’t leave as far as she and the reader is aware. But it also does help to inform how you see the world because there are orcs, animal beings with human characteristics, humans, rock monsters, magic, and more, which could make it, most likely, a tabletop game world or a video game.
I would recommend this to readers looking for D&D-esque fantasies with Bi/Pan female leads, fans of nostalgic books that also feature anime and video game tropes, and those looking for a new take on the Dark Lord of fantasy.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault
shanajeanh's review
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
Absolutely hilarious right up til it punches you in the art with emotion. Great for anyone who's ever felt bad killing the monsters in games and asked if they could seduce the monsters instead. Also: has fantastic footnotes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Suicide
Minor: Sexual assault
While the main character discusses death, self-harm, and suicide frequently and casually, there is an extenuating circumstance that she's in a time loop and will wake up again if she dies, so it's not the same as the real world equivalent.carlack7's review
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
It took until about 60% of the way into this book for me to really start enjoying it. The first part felt very juvenile, so much swearing and over the top commentary.... But as it settled into the story, the characters started to grow in depth and I really started to enjoy it!
The footnotes in each chapter are fun additions and I am definitely invested enough that I will be looking for the next book.
Give it a read if you enjoy lots of nerd culture references and a slightly ridiculous main character!
The footnotes in each chapter are fun additions and I am definitely invested enough that I will be looking for the next book.
Give it a read if you enjoy lots of nerd culture references and a slightly ridiculous main character!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Violence, and Suicide
Minor: Sexual assault
ee1000's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
An irreverent mashup of Live, Die, Repeat (Edge of Tomorrow if you saw the movie) and D&D, HTBDL&DT is a hilarious start to Dark Lord Davi’s journey. If you read Legends and Lattes and thought, I love this idea, just make it a lot more inappropriate and up the stakes a bit, you’d get this book. Or if you read Assistant to the Villain and thought, I like this, but let’s add a hoard, expand the world, and our main character isn’t afraid to swear, bam, you get this book!
I really enjoyed this book! Davi is such a fun character and I loved the take on how she handled dying over and over. Her abilities and what she learned give her an edge but don’t make her overpowered which I really appreciate! And her whole character arc is amazing. Without spoiling the end, I really appreciate where she lands with her outlook on life after the book ends.
Tsav, Amitsugu, Droff, Mari and Jeffrey were standouts as far as the supporting cast goes. Tsav for sure earns her place as best Orc.
I love the lore building in this first entry. There’s so much I want to know! Why is Davi special? How will she change her fate now that she’s taken a different path? There’s enough left unanswered that I’m dying for a sequel… which is unfortunate since this book isn’t even out yet!
I’ve already told a few of my friends to pick this up when it releases officially, and I’ll watch eagerly for the sequel!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for an ARC in exchange for a review.
I really enjoyed this book! Davi is such a fun character and I loved the take on how she handled dying over and over. Her abilities and what she learned give her an edge but don’t make her overpowered which I really appreciate! And her whole character arc is amazing. Without spoiling the end, I really appreciate where she lands with her outlook on life after the book ends.
Tsav, Amitsugu, Droff, Mari and Jeffrey were standouts as far as the supporting cast goes. Tsav for sure earns her place as best Orc.
I love the lore building in this first entry. There’s so much I want to know! Why is Davi special? How will she change her fate now that she’s taken a different path? There’s enough left unanswered that I’m dying for a sequel… which is unfortunate since this book isn’t even out yet!
I’ve already told a few of my friends to pick this up when it releases officially, and I’ll watch eagerly for the sequel!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for an ARC in exchange for a review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Sexual assault
lastblossom's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
Snappy and fast-paced meta-commentary, with a surprising amount of heart. There's also a heavy dose of Adult stuff.
Thoughts
"Irreverent" might be the word here. At least, it certainly starts that way. The blurb says Groundhog Day, but the whole time I read it I kept thinking Re:Zero (an assumption that is confirmed by the author's notes in the back). For those of you not into anime, think Live Die Repeat with Tom Cruise. The hero Davi dies violently and often, until the only thing she has left is cynicism and anger. Her foray into becoming the Dark Lord starts as a lark born from frustration and a desire for novelty, but it quickly turns into more as she gets closer to her goals, and further from her old lives. Most reviews will probably say this book is very funny, very crude, or both. (It's both.) But for something as snappy and flippant as this, it also has a surprising amount of heart, with Davi's hurt melting into care the further she gets on her journey. Is becoming the Dark Lord also a journey of healing? The characters she gathers for her horde are a motley crew with their own interests, and it's incredibly easy to care about them as well. The cliffhanger ending is telegraphed well, but still comes as a real punch to the gut, and I'm very curious to see what happens next. Content-wise, there's a good deal of swearing, front-loaded at the start of the book, but present throughout. People die, often horribly. Sex is had with great enthusiasm, although the descriptions tend to be brief. There's also a load of meta commentary including tons of pop culture references and D&D talk, which will probably resonate with genre-savvy readers.
Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
Snappy and fast-paced meta-commentary, with a surprising amount of heart. There's also a heavy dose of Adult stuff.
Thoughts
"Irreverent" might be the word here. At least, it certainly starts that way. The blurb says Groundhog Day, but the whole time I read it I kept thinking Re:Zero (an assumption that is confirmed by the author's notes in the back). For those of you not into anime, think Live Die Repeat with Tom Cruise. The hero Davi dies violently and often, until the only thing she has left is cynicism and anger. Her foray into becoming the Dark Lord starts as a lark born from frustration and a desire for novelty, but it quickly turns into more as she gets closer to her goals, and further from her old lives. Most reviews will probably say this book is very funny, very crude, or both. (It's both.) But for something as snappy and flippant as this, it also has a surprising amount of heart, with Davi's hurt melting into care the further she gets on her journey. Is becoming the Dark Lord also a journey of healing? The characters she gathers for her horde are a motley crew with their own interests, and it's incredibly easy to care about them as well. The cliffhanger ending is telegraphed well, but still comes as a real punch to the gut, and I'm very curious to see what happens next. Content-wise, there's a good deal of swearing, front-loaded at the start of the book, but present throughout. People die, often horribly. Sex is had with great enthusiasm, although the descriptions tend to be brief. There's also a load of meta commentary including tons of pop culture references and D&D talk, which will probably resonate with genre-savvy readers.
Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Cursing, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: War, Sexual content, Suicide, and Murder
Minor: Sexual assault and Confinement
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